Room divider



M. z R967 J. A Bug 3,305,983

ROOM DIVIDER Filed June 4, 1965 Jan/m BM United States Patent titice 3,3%,983 Patented Fel). 28, 1967 3,305,983 ROOM DIVIDER Johann A. Bus, Ebhausen, Wurttemberg, Germany, assignor to Christian Holzapfel KG., Ebhausen, Wurttemberg, Germany Filed .lune 4, 1963, Ser. No. 285,408

Claims priority, application Germany, .lune 16, 1962,

8 Claims. (Cl. 52-127) The present invention relates to room dividers in general, and more particularly to a portable partition which may serve as a vertical room divider between the floor and ceiling or between another pair of spaced w'alls in living quarters, offices and other types of buildings.

It is an important object of the invention to provide a very simple, light weigh-t and easy-to-install room divider which may be completely assembled in a manufacturing plant and which may be installed and xed in position within exceptionally short periods of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a room divider which may be readily separated from the walls of a building if it should become necessary to change its position or to put it to a new use yat a different locale.

A further object of the invention is to provide a room divider which may be extended or shortened within a desired range so as to be usable in prefabricated buildings wherein the distance between the walls of a room or area to be partitioned might vary from building to building.

An additional object of my invention is to provide an extendable and contractible partition whose tensioning or extending mechanism is fully concealed from view when the partition is fixed in position and wherein such mechanism is readily accessible through a single opening of comparatively small cross sectional area .such as may be readily plugged without representing an eyesore to the occupants of the building in which the partition is installed.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel tensioning mechanism which may be used in a partition of the above outline characteristics.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide a very simple and easy-to-operate motion transmitting connection between a manually operable or motor-driven rotary actuating tool and the tensioning mechanism of an extendable and contractible partition.

With the above objects in view, the invention resides in the provision of a partition which comprises a flat frame having an end face and including a main support and a pair of panels secured to the opposite sides of and delining with the main support an internal compartment which is open along the end face of the frame, a retaining head ciprocably received in the compartment and movable in a direction to extend beyond the end face of the frame so that it may engage the ceiling, the floor or yanother wall of a building construction, and tensioning means for moving the retaining head beyond the end face of the frame. In accordance with one feature of my invention, the tensioning means comprises a sleeve which is anchored in the main supoprt and whose axis is parallel with the direction of movement of the retaining head, a spindle which is restricted to axial movement with respect to the spindle and one end portion of which engages the retaining head, a spindle nut which meshes with the spindle and which is held against axial movement with respect to the sleeve, and actuating means including a rotary tool which is extendable through an opening provided in one of the panels and into motion transmitting engagement with the nut so that the nut rotates in response to rotation of the tool whereby the spindle is compelled to move axially in the sleeve and to advance the retaining head beyond the end face of the frame.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of my invention, the nut comprises a toothed portion which constitutes a bevel gear and which is coaxial with the spindle, and the tool comprises a second bevel gear which may be introduced through the opening in one of the panels to mesh with the toothed portion of the nut whereby the nut is compelled to rotate in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction in response to rotation of the tool.

It is 'also within the scope of my invention to form the spindle as an elongated rack and to provide on the actuating tool a pinion which may be moved into mesh with the rack. In such partitions, I contemplate using means to prevent return movement of the spindle in a direction to allow the retaining head to be shifted away from the wall of a building construction.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved partition itself, however, both as to its construction and the method of mounting the same, together with additional features and advantages thereof, -will be best understood from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment Iwith reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a transverse vertical section through a p'artition which embodies my invention and which is mounted between the ceiling and the oor of a building construction; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a bracket which serves as a means for holding the spindle nut 'against axial movement with respect to the sleeve of the tensioning means.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, and rst to FIG. 1, there is shown a partition which forms part of a building construction and which is mounted between a pair of spaced walls of a residential building, of an ohce structure, of an industrial building or the like. ln the illustrated embodiment, the partition is disposed in a vertical plane so that it extends between the ceiling 30 and the floor 31 of a building construction. The main component part of the partition assumes the form of a frame which includes a main support represented by two spaced frame members or beams 1t), 10" having two vertically aligned side faces which are bonded, nailed, bolted or otherwise connected to a pair of spaced parallel panels 11, 12. These panels extend all the way between the lower end face ltia of the frame which is adjacent to the floor 31 and the upper end face 10b which is adjacent to but spaced from the ceiling. The main support 1t), 10 defines with the panels 1l, 12 an internal compartment ltic which is open along the upper end face 10b and which accommodates the component parts of a tensioning mechanism serving as a means to advance a retaining head or plunger 15 into strong frictional engagement with the underside of the ceiling 30. This head may assume the form of a horizontal beam whose upper side is provided with a recess to receive a cushioning member 17 here shown as a block of foam rubber or the like. When the upper side of the retaining head 15 is moved sufciently close to or into actual abutment with the ceiling, the material of the cushioning member 17 is compressed to form a uidtight seal. The compartment 10c communicates with an opening 33 which is provided in the panel 11 at a level slightly above the upper side of the frame member 10. This frame member 10 serves to support a vertical sleeve 18 which may but need not extend therethrough and whose axis is parallel with the direction (see the arrow 32) in which the retaining head 15 should reciprocate between the panels 11, 12. The sleeve 18 is permanently or removably anchored in the member 10. It will be noted that the vertical side faces of the head 15 slide along a pair of sealing strips 16 which may consist of foam rubber 'and which are secured to the inner sides of the panels 11, 12 just beneath the upper end face b. This keeps the compartment 10c free from moisture and dust, especially when the opening 33 is properly sealed.

The upper end portion of the sleeve 18 assumes the form of a collar 18 whose lower end face is spaced from the upper side of the frame member 1i) and which is provided with a radial bore 18 registering with the opening 33. The tensioning mechanism further includes an externally threaded vertical spindle 19 which is axially slidably received in the sleeve 18 and whose upper end portion bears against the underside of the retaining head 15. The means for guiding and for preventing rotation of the spindle 19 in the sleeve 18 comprises a pin and slot connection including an elongated channel or groove 19 provided in the periphery of the spindle and a radially inwardly extending pin 21 which is secured to the sleeve 18. It goes without saying that the position of the pin may be reversed, i.e., that the channel 19 may be machined into the internal surface of the sleeve 18 and that the pin 21 may extend radially ou-twardly from the periphery of the spindle so as to be guided by the channel in a direction parallel with the arrow 32. Gwing to the fact that the spindle cannot rotate, it is compelled to move axially in resp-onse to rotation of a spindle nut which meshes with the external threads of the spindle and which is disposed just above the upper end face of the collar 18. Of course, since the nut 20 cannot move the spindle axially if it is free to change its axial position with respect to the sleeve 18, I provide means for holding the nut against axial movement. In acordance with a more specific feature of my invention, such holding means includes a substantially U-shaped metallic bracket 24 which is illustrated in FIG. 2 and which comprises la pair of bifurcated legs or .anges 24a, 24b respectively formed with open slots 24', 24". The lower leg 24b straddles the sleeve 18 just below the lower end face of the collar 18 and rests on the upper side of the frame member 10. The upper leg 24a straddles the spindle 19 at a level above the upper end face of the nut 20 so that the nut cannot move axially with respect to the collar. To prevent excessive play between the nut and the spindle, I provide a washer 25 which is inserted between the lower end face of the collar 20 and the lower leg 24h.

The lower end portion of the nut Ztl is formed with upwardly and outwardly extending radial teeth 20' so that this end portion forms a bevel gear whose teeth may mesh with the teeth of a second bevel gear formed by the toothed end portion 22 of a rotary actuating tool 23, the latter having a hindle at its rear end so that it may be rotated by hand in order to rotate the nut 2) when the gears 20', 22 are moved into mesh. In order to facilitate t-he Iwork of an operator who is in charge of ex tending thepartition, the bevel gear 22 comprises a coaxial projection 23 which may be received in the bore 18" so that the axis of the tool 23 is perpendicular to the axis of the spindle 19. The diameter of the opening 33 is just large enough to permit passage of the bevel gear 22.

In order to avoid scratching or denting of the floor 31, I prefer to provide cushioning members 13, 14 which are accommodated in recesses formed in side faces of the lower frame member 10 and which engage the upper side of the floor whenl the operator turns the handle 35 in a sense to move the spindle 19 upwardly and to thereby expel the retaining head 15 beyond the upper end face 10b of the frame.

It would be possible to replace the Ibevel gear 2G by a ring gear and to replace the bevel gear 22 by a spur gear; however, the bevel gears may be moved into or out of mesh with greater ease so that the use of such bevel gears in the tensioning mechanism of my improved partition presents an'important advantage.

If the operator desires to separate the partition from the walls. 30, 31the plug. (not shown) which normally fills the opening 33 and which may consist of suitable synthetic plastic material or the like is removed and the tool 23 may be reinserted to assume the position of FIG. l, whereupon the operator turns the handle 35 in a sense to move the spindle 19 downwardly and to permit descent of the retaining head 15. The partition is then ready to be transported to a different locale of use or to be put in storage.

The head 15 is provided with a plate-like reinforcement 15a which abuts against the upper end of the spindle 19.

The frame 10, 10', 11, 12 and the retaining head 15 may be made of wood, plastic or metal. For example, the panels 11, 12` may be made of plywood or of laminated plastic material, and the parts 10, 10', 15 may consist of wood to reduce the weight of the partition.

If desired, the compartment 10c may accommodate two or more tensioning mechanisms which may act upon a common retaining head or each of which may serve to reciprocate a separate retaining head. Furthermore, the upper end portion of the spindle 19 may be permanently connected with the underside of or may extend into the head 15 so that the latter is movable toward and away from the ceiling 3i). All such modifications are so obvious that they can be comprehended by men skilled in this art without necessitating separate illustrations.

The panels and the plug which normally seals the opening 33 are preferably provided with coats of paint so as to conceal the fact that the partition is not a permanently installed room divider.

In certain conventional types of expandible and contractible partitions of which I have knowledge at this time, the mechanism for changing the length or width of the partition may be actuated only if one of the panels is formed with a comparatively large opening such as will permit insertion and pivotal back-and-forth movements of an actuating tool. Consequently, it is often rather dicult to properly plug such large opening or openings which may constitute an eyesore, particularly if they are not concealable by a small picture or the like.

On the other hand, the opening 33 provided in one of the panels which form part of my improved partition rnay be of very small diameter since the actuating tool 1s a rotary tool so that it need not be pivoted or rocked at the time it is caused to engage with the concealed tensioning mechanism.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various lapplications without omittingr features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A partition comprising a flat frame having an end face and including a main support and a pair 0f panels secured 4to the opposite sides of and defining with said support an internal compartment which is open along said end face, one of said panels having an opening cornmunicating with said compartment; a retaining head reciprocably received in said compartment and movable in a direction to extend beyond said end face; and tensioning means for moving said retaining head in said direction, said tensioning means comprising a sleeve mounted in said support and having an axis parallel with said direction, said sleeve comprising a collar located in said compartment and spaced from said support, an externally threaded spindle axially movably received in said sleeve and having an end portion engaging said retaining head, guide means arranged to prevent rotation of said spindle with respect tosaid sleeve, a spindle nut adjacent to said collar and meshing with said'spindle, a

U-shaped bracket having a first bifurcated leg straddling said sleeve intermediate said collar and said support and a second 'bifurcated leg straddling said spindle adjacent to said nut so that the nut is held against axial movement withrespect to said sleeve, and actuating means for rotating said nut whereby the spindle may advance said retaining head beyond said end face, said actuating means comprising a rotary tool extendable through said opening into said compartment and into motion transmitting engagement with said nut so that the area of said opening need not be greater than necessary to insert said tool into motion transmitting engagement with said nut.

2. A partition as set forth in claim 1, wherein said spindle nut comprises a gear-shaped portion which is coaxial with said spindle and wher-ein said tool comprises a gear-shaped portion which is extendable through said opening so as to mesh with said rst mentioned gearshaped portion and to rotate said nut in response to rotation of said tool, said collar having a radial bore registering with said opening and said gear shaped portion of said tool comprising a coaxial projection receivable in said bore to support the tool when the tool rotates said nut.

3. A partition according to claim 1, wherein said spindle nut has a diameter greater than the diameter of said collar and comprises at the end portion thereof which is adjacent said collar a toothed portion constituting a bevel gear which is :coaxial with said spindle and wherein said tool comprises a bevel gear which is movable into mesh with said toothed portion.

4. A partition according to claim 3, wherein said collar is provided with a radial bore registering with said opening and said bevel gear portion of said tool cornprises a coaxial projection receivable in said radial bore to support the tool when the tool rotates said nut.

5. In a building construction, in combination, a iirst wall and a spaced second wall; and a partition including a flat frame having two spaced end faces each adjacent to one of said walls, said frame including a main support and a pair of spaced parallel panels extending between said end faces and secured to the opposite sides of said support so as to dene with said support an internal compartment which is open along one of said end faces, one of said panels having an opening which communicates with said compartment, a retaining head reciprocably received in said compartment so as to be movable in a direction beyond said one end face, and tensioning means for moving said retaining head in said direction so that the head may engage one of said walls and that the other end face of said frame is pressed against the other wall to x the partition between said walls, said tensioning means comprising a sleeve mounted in said support and having an axis parallel with the direction of movement of said retaining head, an externally threaded spindle axially movably received in said sleeve and having an end portion extending beyond one end of said sleeve and engaging said retaining head, guide means for holding the spindle against rotation with respect to said sleeve, a spindle nut meshing with said spindle and rotatably mounted in said compartment adjacent said one end of said sleeve, U-shaped bracket means having a rst bifurcated leg straddling said sleeve and a second bifurcated leg straddling said spindle adjacent to said nut for holding said spindle nut against axial movement with respect to said sleeve, and actuating means for rotating said nut and for thereby moving said spindle axially of said sleeve whereby the spindle may advance the retaining head beyond said one end face, said actuating means comprising a rotary tool extendable through said opening into said compartment and into motion transmitting engagement with said nut.

6. A combination as set forth in claim 5, wherein said nut comprises a toothed portion constituting a bevel gear which is coaxial with said spindle and wherein said tool comprises a bevel gear which is movable into mesh with said toothed portion.

7. In a building construction, in combination, a oor; a ceiling; and a partition including a at frame disposed in a vertical plane and having an upper end face adjacent to said ceiling and a lower end face adjacent to said floor, said frame including a main support and a pair of spaced parallel panels disposed in vertical planes, said panels extending between said upper and lower end faces of the frame and being secured to the opposite sides of and dening with said support an internal compartment which is open along said upper end face, one of said panels having a comparatively small opening which communicates with said compartment, a retaining head vertically reciprocably received in said compartment and movable beyond said upper end face, and tensioning means for moving said retaining head beyond said upper end face so that the head engages the ceiling and that the lower end face of said frame is caused to engage the iloor whereby the partition is rigidly secured in position, said tensioning means comprising a vertical sleeve mounted in said support and extending into said compartment, an externally threaded spindle axially movably received in and extending beyond the -upper end of said sleeve, guide means for holding the spindle against rotation with respect to said sleeve, a spindle nut meshing with said spindle and located in said compartment at a level above said sleeve, U-shaped bracket means straddling portions of said sleeve and said nut for holding said spindle nut against axial movement with respect to said sleeve, said U-shaped bracket means having a pair of substantially parallel legs formed respectively with cutouts for said sleeve and said spindle and said U- shaped bracket means constituting the sole means for holding said nut against relative axial movement with respect to said sleeve, and actuating means for rotating said nut so as to move the spindle upwardly whereby the upper end of said spindle advances the retaining head beyond the upper end face of said frame, said actuating means comprising a rotary tool extendable through said opening and into motion transmitting engagement with said nut.

8. A combination as set forth in claim 7, wherein said lower end face and said retaining head are provided with cushioning means respectively engaging with the floor and ceiling of said construction.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 34,063 1/ 1862 Landis 254--103 756,982 4/1904 Robinson 254-103 956,478 4/ 1910 B-urkholder 25A-103 973,546 10/1910 Newpher 52-127 1,616,768 2/1927 Thomason 52-328 X 1,651,940 12/ 1927 Ashkenas 52-122 X 1,669,479 4/ 1928 Lowy 52-122 X 1,758,489 5/1930 Wheat 52-241 1,990,259 2/ 1935 Walters 52-240 2,443,548 6/1948 Wilson 52-241 X 2,945,568 7/1960 Chasteney 52-127 X FOREIGN PATENTS 11,115 1903 Great Britain. 853,216 1960 Great Britain.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

JOHN E. MURTAGH, Examiner. 

5. IN A BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, IN COMBINATION, A FIRST WALL AND A SPACED SECOND WALL; AND A PARTITION INCLUDING A FLAT FRAME HAVING TWO SPACED END FACES EACH ADJACENT TO ONE OF SAID WALLS, SAID FRAME INCLUDING A MAIN SUPPORT AND A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL PANELS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID END FACES AND SECURED TO THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SUPPORT SO AS TO DEFINE WITH SAID SUPPORT AN INTERNAL COMPARTMENT WHICH IS OPEN ALONG ONE OF SAID END FACES, ONE OF SAID PANELS HAVING AN OPENING WHICH COMMUNICATES WITH SAID COMPARTMENT, A RETAINING HEAD RECIPROCABLY RECEIVED IN SAID COMPARTMENT SO AS TO BE MOVABLE IN A DIRECTION BEYOND SAID ONE END FACE, AND TENSIONING MEANS FOR MOVING SAID RETAINING HEAD IN SAID DIRECTION SO THAT THE HEAD MAY ENGAGE ONE OF SAID WALLS AND THAT THE OTHER END FACE OF SAID FRAME IS PRESSED AGAINST THE OTHER WALL TO FIX THE PARTITION BETWEEN SAID WALLS, SAID TENSIONING MEANS COMPRISING A SLEEVE MOUNTED IN SAID SUPPORT AND HAVING AN AXIS PARALLEL WITH THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID RETAINING HEAD, AN EXTERNALLY THREADED SPINDLE AXIALLY MOVABLY RECEIVED IN SAID SLEEVE AND HAVING AN END PORTION EXTENDING BEYOND ONE END OF SAID SLEEVE AND ENGAGING SAID RETAINING HEAD, GUIDE MEANS FOR HOLDING THE SPINDLE AGAINST ROTATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID SLEEVE, A SPINDLE NUT MESHING WITH SAID SPINDLE AND ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID COMPARTMENT ADJACENT SAID ONE END OF SAID SLEEVE, U-SHAPED BRACKET MEANS HAVING A FIRS BIFURCATED LEG STRADDLING SAID SPINDLE ADJACENT TO SAID NUT FOR CATED LEG STRADDLING SAID SPINDLE ADJACENT TO SAID NUT FOR HOLDING SAID SPINDLE NUT AGAINST AXIAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID SLEEVE, AND ACTUATING MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID NUT AND FOR THEREBY MOVING SAID SPINDLE AXIALLY OF SAID SLEEVE WHEREBY THE SPINDLE MAY ADVANCE THE RETAINING HEAD BEYOND SAID ONE END FACE, SAID ACTUATING MEANS COMPRISING A ROTARY TOOL EXTENDABLE THROUGH SAID OPENING INTO SAID COMPARTMENT AND INTO MOTION TRANSMITTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID NUT. 